Newsletter

Cadets beat Laney 24-20

Laney running back DeAndre Walker, left, stiff-arms Benedictine defensive back Brad Stewart as he runs for a first down during the first half of the Cadets’ 24-20 playoff victory in Augusta.

Jon-Michael Sullivan/Augusta Chronicle Defensive back John Solitario tackles running back George Myers as Myers runs for a first down during the first half of Benedictine's game at Laney High School on Friday.

AUGUSTA — The mute disappointment was easily drowned out by the yelling sprinters coming from the other sideline.

It was close, but there was no repeat home playoff win for Laney this season.

The Wildcats football team fell just short of posting back-to-back seasons with a home playoff win with a 24-20 loss Friday night to Benedictine in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.

“We were extremely disciplined,” Cadets coach Danny Britt, whose team had to emerge from a three-team tiebreaker Monday to earn a playoff berth.

“(The Wildcats) were very athletic and very fast,” Britt continued. “For us, it was a matter of doing the right thing and doing it over and over again.”

The Cadets improved to 8-3, one season after they went 5-6 in Class AAAAA. Britt said the team will next face Lamar County, which entered the night 9-0-1 and ranked No. 4 in Class AA.

“My hat’s off to them,” Laney coach Lemuel Lackey said about Benedictine. “They played well and they move on.”

Freshman quarterback Andre James tried to give Laney a chance with an 88-yard scoring drive, but after he found DeAndre Walker for the short touchdown pass, only 1:26 remained in the game.

Benedictine recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock behind 101-yard rusher Chance Jackson, who had 32 carries and a pair of 2-yard touchdown runs.

The Wildcats, 41-13 winners against Morgan County at home in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, got 108 rushing yards from George Myers but also hurt themselves with too many mistakes. In the second half, Laney (7-4) was stopped on downs twice and threw an interception before it got its very late touchdown.

Those blunders helped the Cadets go ahead 24-14 on a Jackson run early in the fourth quarter. He had 32 carries in the win.

Earlier, the first half was mostly an exchange of similar situations that led to a 17-14 Benedictine edge.

Both teams had poor snaps on punting plays, leading to short fields and touchdowns that helped the other side go on a 14-0 spurt.

Benedictine’s spurt was first, with lefty Stevie Powers completing 12 of his 13 passes in the first half. One ended up in Brad Stewart’s hands when the receiver jumped up for the ball and secured it for the game’s first touchdown. Powers was particularly dangerous on short throws, taking advantage of the zone defense.

Later, a bad Laney snap essentially gifted the Cadets (8-3) with their second score before Laney leaned on its quick backs to charge back.

Myers had 61 rushing yards in the opening half, but it was his interception of Powers that started the push.

After making the pick, Myers rushed for 41 yards on four carries as the Wildcats got a touchdown.

Benedictine then had its punt-play miscue on a snap, which gave Laney quarterback James the chance to get a touchdown.

Powers then guided the Cadets to a 23-yard field goal by Brandon Deloach right before halftime to give BC a lead it didn’t give up.

“We jumped out to a 14-0 lead and they came back tied it up 14-14 (before the half), but we drove down for a field goal for the lead,” Britt said.

“They stole the momentum and we stole it back,” he added.

Laney’s Andre James finished 11 of 16 for 101 yards and one touchdown pass. George Myers rushed 18 times for 108 yards and a 4-yard score.